Sarah Jane John’s artisanal soaps are all about going green with a touch of luxe

LA VENDER buds. Himalayan rock salt. Coffee grinds combined with oatmeal. This ingredient list may mislead one into thinking that we’re talking about a gourmet dish. But, if there were to be a category equivalent to gourmet in soaps, that’s where Sarah Jane John’s brand Future is Green (FIG) would fit in. Boasting of a range of handmade artisanal soaps cured over three months—with the most exclusive components from all over the world (olive oil flown in from Spain, for instance)—this millennial’s bath regimen is attracting global attention with online queries pouring in from as far as Australia.

An accounting professional turned- entrepreneur, John’s tryst with soap-making began at her father’s Kochi-based starch treatment plant, where a lab and a chemist were at her disposal. “I started thinking about such an endeavour only after reading up about how it is much easier for chemicals to penetrate into our bloodstream through skin compared to a product that is consumed. In that sense, all of the body lotions, soaps and shampoos play a much larger role in our lives than we imagine,” says John. There are six different variants of FIG available at the moment, including Aphrodite and Mountain Man.

What makes these products unique is the combination of ingredients, such as rice bran oil and cocoa butter paired with locally sourced coconut oil and other natural ingredients. Adding to the exclusivity of FIG is the cover art and colour combinations done by Kochi-based artists Jaffer Zadique and Lola Kutty, featuring digitalised versions of their hand-drawn sketches. “It’s about creating a lifestyle shift to using safer products by creating clean ingredients that look and smell great,” adds John who is currently focused on widening her cosmetics range. Rs 200 upwards.